Maria Clara Pacheco Wins 57kg World Taekwondo Title, Ending Brazil’s 20-Year Drought

Overview

• She defeated Olympic champion Yu-Jin Kim 2–0 in the final in Wuxi, China, to claim the 57 kg crown.
• Her route to gold included wins over Leonor Correia, Laura Rodriguez Marquina, Faith Dillon and a semifinal revenge victory against Luo Zongshi.
• The triumph is Brazil’s second world title in taekwondo and its first since Natália Falavigna in 2005, bringing the country’s Worlds total to 24 medals.
• Pacheco tops the 57 kg world ranking after 2025 victories at Grand Prix events in Charlotte and Muju plus Universiade gold in Essen.
• She credits a post-Paris reset — new team, coach and a dedicated physical trainer — for the leap in performance, praised on site by Falavigna.